Community Volunteer Opportunities
Mentoring:
Bates Buddies is a student organization that sends pairs of students to a local school to connect with groups of young elementary-aged kids each week. They meet during the lunch/recess hour. The contact for this program is Mollie Kervick (mkervick@bates.edu).
Big Brothers Big Sisters offers one-on-one weekly matches with elementary school kids in local schools. It also has a campus-based program, Cats and Cubs, that meets every other Sunday. Contact: Lindsey Loy (lloy@bates.edu) or Bridget Feldmann (bfeldman@bates.edu).
Tutoring and Enrichment Programs:
Hillview After-School—Mondays and Wednesdays, 3-5; contact Maddy Levitt (mlevitt@bates.edu).
Tree Street Youth—Mondays through Thursdays, 2-6; Friday 2-4; contact Julia Sleeper (juliarsleeper@gmail.com).
Lewiston Public Library— Mondays through Thursdays, 3:30-5:30; contact Katie Ailes (kailes@bates.edu).
Project Storyboost— reading to kindergarteners during the school day; contact Katie Polio (kpolio@bates.edu).
Let’s Get Ready— SAT prep for high school students; M or W, 5-8 p.m.; contact Megan Lapp (mlapp@bates.edu).
English Language Learners:
Adult Learning Center— contact Marty Deschaines (mdeschai@bates.edu).
Somali Bantu Youth Association of Maine—preparation for citizenship testing; contact Marty Deschaines (mdeschai@bates.edu).
Food Accessibility:
Trinity Soup Kitchen—serves meals 7 days a week; contact Erin Reed (trinitylewiston@gmail.com).
Lots to Gardens—community gardening and cooking classes; contact Sherie Blumenthal (sblumenthal@stmarysmaine.com).
Good Shepherd Food Bank—preparing food for distribution throughout the state; contact Shannon Coffin, 782-3554, x1158.
Elderly/Younger Disabled:
Blake Street Towers—promote social activities with elderly and younger disabled; contact Matt Gee (mgee@bates.edu).
Safe and Affordable Housing:
Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together projects. Contact Lee Sandquist (lsandqui@bates.edu).
Art Projects:
ArtVan— mobile arts therapy with non-profits in Lewiston-Auburn. Contact Juwon Song (jsong@bates.edu).
Hospitals:
St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center— contact Jenny Cowie; 777-8369; jcowie@stmarysmaine.com
Central Maine Medical Center—contact Sue Hedrich: 795-2472; hedricsu@cmhc.org
Other Programs (some of these require extensive training):
Safe Voices—domestic violence prevention program; contact Kim Preble at 795-6744; kpreble@safevoices.org
Advocates for Children— child abuse protection; parenting skill development; contact info@advocatesforchildren.net
Catholic Charities SEARCH Program—services for the elderly; contact Wendy Russell, 784-0157
New Beginnings—support for at-risk youth; Ethan May, 795-4077
Greater Androscoggin Humane Society—Sandy Graul, 783-2311, volunteer@gahumane.org
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services—Bridget Mancini, sacccs@sapars.org